{"id":13366,"date":"2026-03-12T13:21:56","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T13:21:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sommelieredit.com\/?p=13366"},"modified":"2026-03-12T14:02:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T14:02:40","slug":"faith-and-fine-wine-sean-crosbys-unconventional-path-to-michelin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sommelieredit.com\/es\/faith-and-fine-wine-sean-crosbys-unconventional-path-to-michelin\/","title":{"rendered":"Faith and Fine Wine: Sean Crosby\u2019s unconventional path to Michelin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sean Crosby laughs a little when I ask about his route into hospitality, sharing that it was \u201cunconventional.\u201d Growing up in Pennsylvania and studying theology, his intentions were to join the seminary. So how did a self-described \u201cbeer and bourbon guy\u201d teaching theology and philosophy become Head Sommelier at a Michelin-starred restaurant in London?<\/h3>\n

Crosby admits the shift was in part down to restlessness. Realising progression would be limited in teaching, a regular movie night changed his career path when his roommate picked the Somm documentary. Crosby was immediately taken by it and thought \u201cI have to give it a go.\u201d He bought a copy of The World Atlas of Wine<\/em>, reasoning that with his academic background he already knew how to study, and it snowballed from there.<\/p>\n

Crosby found a mentor in Thierry Lasparre, \u201can old-school French somm\u201d who had trained under Olivier Poussier, 2000\u2019s Best Sommelier of the World. Teaching all day before working the evening service with Lesparre at Amorette, a restaurant Crosby describes as having the best wine list in Pennsylvania, he learnt a lot about wine and how to work the floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all about the guest: it\u2019s their celebration, their anniversary, their birthday, their promotion. We\u2019re just here to help make it better\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Kitchen W8, Private Dining Room<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the pandemic hit, Crosby filled gaps in his knowledge by working as a cellar master in a winery in Pennsylvania and in wine education. He was clear, however, that he wanted to work in a Michelin restaurant. At the time, Pennsylvania had no such scene, and he knew that to do so he\u2019d have to move to New York, Washington DC or Los Angeles. Realising that would mean uprooting his life, he concluded that he should just \u201cgo big or go home.\u201d As he started following restaurants and sommeliers in London, Crosby met his second mentor, Jonathan Kleema<\/strong>n, when he posted online about an open position at Restaurant Story, a London restaurant with two Michelin stars, \u201cpushing for a third.\u201d<\/p>\n

In July 2023, Crosby packed his bags and left the US for only the second time in his life, to move to the UK as the Assistant Head Sommelier at Story. He says Kleeman was an instrumental if very different teacher from Lesparre, teaching him about looking for wines people won\u2019t immediately recognise, and mixing classics with lesser-known discoveries.<\/p>\n

Crosby left Story to come to Kitchen W8 as Head Sommelier in September 2025. He was excited about the opportunity to grow his own programme and curate the wine selection, while admitting that part of the appeal was also the slight step back in intensity to the more laid-back one-star neighbourhood restaurant in Kensington.<\/p>\n